What Exactly is Los Angeles Getting From Brandon McCarthy?

Brandon McCarthy signed a four year deal worth $48 million with the Los Angeles Dodgers after spending half a season with the New York Yankees this past season. As much as I like McCarthy as a player and appreciate what he brought to the team in 2014 I think New York truly dodged a bullet here. Not because I think McCarthy’s stats were an aberration and he is expected to decline heavily in the next four years, although it wouldn’t surprise me personally, but because of the injury history specifically related to his right throwing shoulder.

A quick look at his injury history obviously raises some red flags and makes you wonder what exactly the Dodgers will be receiving for their $48 million investment over the next four seasons. McCarthy missed nearly two months in 2007 with a stress fracture in his shoulder blade and battled elbow inflammation in 2008. His 2009 season ended prematurely with another surgery on his shoulder that also cause him to miss the entire 2010 season while rehabbing the injury. While ignoring the unfortunate incident where he was struck by a line drive in 2011 and missed most of the season he was once again on the disabled list in 2012 with, you guessed it, another shoulder injury.

There are two main components to a pitcher’s ability to stay on the field, their elbow and their shoulder, and McCarthy has dealt with both extensively in the past. While the knees, the legs etc. are important as well, ask CC Sabathia about that, they don’t mean much when you can’t lift your arms high enough to put a shirt on. I wish McCarthy nothing but the best for the remainder of his career and I thank him for and appreciate what he did for the team in 2014 but in the same token I am not upset that he left for Los Angeles. Not for that many years and for that kind of money with that kind of injury history. Good luck in LA Brandon, here’s to you pulling an AJ Burnett and putting it all together health wise as a late bloomer.